Deforestation persists in upper basin of San Juan de la Maguana

San Juan, DR.- Agro-businessman Niela Ramos and transportation entrepreneur Kelvin Recio have raised alarms about ongoing deforestation in the upper basin of San Juan de la Maguana, which they attribute to the practice of conuquismo (slash-and-burn agriculture). This activity has led to reduced rainfall and narrowing of the San Juan and Maguana river channels, affecting water storage in the Sabaneta Dam.

As members of the Consortium of Sustainable Agricultural Producers of the San Juan Valley, Ramos and Recio condemned the use of toxic chemicals to dry trees rapidly and called for urgent reforestation efforts. They proposed planting fruit trees and energy crops to restore the forested area and eliminate conuquismo, which they argued has failed to alleviate poverty among local residents.

Highlighting the severe poverty in the upper basin, they noted that many families hope for job opportunities through the potential exploitation of the El Romero mining site by GoldQuest. Ramos and Recio urged President Luis Abinader to expedite environmental and social impact studies for the project and called on the government to implement social and economic development plans to support the region’s residents.